


After Hours

by wallow



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternative Lifestyles, BDSM, F/M, Teacher-Student Relationship, Universe Alteration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-18 12:26:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2348408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallow/pseuds/wallow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione finds something odd in Snape's possession, thus starting an unlikely relationship between the two. BDSM warning. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Detention

Snape preferred to work in solitude, which was completely expected of someone like him. Hermione, who has finished her detention work long ago, watched the professor work from the front row of the classroom, twirling her quill in one hand and resting her chin on the other. She let out a short yawn, hoping the professor would catch on and realize he had already kept her an extra 15 minutes late after class.

Small pops and sizzles escaped the cauldron as Snape poured yet another strange brightly colored liquid inside. None of the flasks were labeled, which she assumed had been intentional, making it impossible to guess what he was working on. She wondered if she dared to speak up and risk him take house points away for 'obstinacy' or whatever other stupid reason he came up with. Rolling her eyes she cleared her throat and finally spoke up, "um, excuse me. Professor?"

He paused in place, hovering above his work for the slightest second, then quickly went back to what he was working on before.

Again, she noted, it was very very like him to clearly be so uninterested in what she had to say, or anyone for that matter. Not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice this time she spoke up again, "Professor Snape, if I don't leave her now I won't make it to the Quidditch game. It's beginning in—"

"I guess you'll have to miss it then Miss Granger if you cannot keep your mouth shut during detention."

She quickly closed her mouth and exhaled loudly through her nostrils. "Yes, professor."

A few silent minutes passed of Snape working alone and Hermione desperately trying to keep herself awake before he spoke up again. Hermione jumped back in her chair, surprised at the sudden request. "But, I suppose if you want to make yourself useful in the meanwhile you can go fetch me a bag from my supply closet down the hall."

Hermione mindlessly stood up from her chair slowly pacing herself forward to retrieve the supply close keys from him, not really thinking a proper response to his request. She blamed her obedience on her tiredness, but in the end decided it wasn't like she had much of a choice to begin with. Upon receiving the key her hand lightly brushed across his, it being rougher and warmer then she had imagine. Professor Snape was a very stiff, cold-blooded person. Was it silly of her to assume his body was as cold as he came off? Realizing the awkwardness of the thought she quickly shook her head and hurried down to the supply closet.

As everything else in Hogwarts was, the door to the supply closet was ancient. The wood was splitting in in random places and dark rot could be seen peeking through the splits. Hesitant, she stuck the key in the large bold lock and opened the door.

The room itself wasn't that big, it was about the size of the average walk-in closet. She thought back on what the professor had instructed her on finding. Biting her lip, she searched around the small space looking for the alleged 'bag'. She really wished she had been awake enough to ask him to specify. In the back of the middle shelf she spotted a small cloth bag. It being to only bag in the room she assumed it was the one. There being no space to move anything out of the way she carefully stuck her hand past more of Snape's notorious unlabeled jars and pulled it out.

Her heart skipped a beat and in a flash she was stumbling back, tripping on something that was just out of eyesight. She caught herself on one of the shelves before she fell. She was surprised Snape hadn't already come rushing in to deduct points with all the noise she made knocking things over. In a daze she quickly gathered everything together and shoved it back on the shelf. She grabbed the rest of the stuff that had fallen out of the bag, threw it back in and rushed back to the classroom.

She desperately wanted to turn back around and do a better job of cleaning, what she just did was something she would scold the hell out of the boys for doing, but she was already standing in the doorway.

"Well, do you have it? What are you waiting for?"

She handed over the bag and looked toward her desk, hanging her head in shame and preparing to head back over.

"You're not done yet, I require your assistance." He handed her back the bag and turned back to his work. "I need you to pull a few things out for me that I have neither the time nor patience to look for myself. The things are listed above on the chalkboard."

Hermione did as she was told, refusing to look up at him. She tried to concentrate at the task at hand and began fishing her arm in the bag. She managed to find the first few items by trial and error. Pulling things back in and out, over and over again. She had gotten use to the familiar shapes of everything in the bag until she came across something odd. She couldn't quite piece what she felt together, and her curiosity getting the best of her, she pulled it out.

"What's taking so—" He stopped mid-sentence. His expression just as shocked as Hermione's. She didn't know why she could properly identify such an object but it appeared to be some kind of flogger. She gasped, holding it a second to long before throwing it back into the back

"I-I—" she stammered, awkwardly meeting his gaze.

"It-it's for those damned beasts Hagrid's loves to parade around." He sounded so uncharacteristically nervous, it was unnerving.

"Y-yes, of course."

He cleared his throat before snatching the bag out of her hands. "Wrong bag Miss Granger, but I'm somehow not surprised."

"I've had enough of your help today. Please come back tomorrow to finish your detention."

She nodded, finding herself at a complete loss of words. She quickly gathered her stuff together and dashed out of the classroom.


	2. The Second Detention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey! So I somehow failed to mention this was going to be a chapter fic so I really hope you guys stick around for the rest. Also sorry if this is riddled with mistakes. I'm horrible at editing things. I'm currently looking for a beta reader so if you're up for it please shoot me a pm! Thanks!
> 
> Reviews are always really sweet to read and appreciated!

Hermione rubbed her temples, trying to compose herself enough to think over what just happened. Her head was racing and not even in her mind could she form complete sentences, all that came out where loud bits and pieces. Snape. Detention. Professor. WEIRD SEXUAL DEVIANT. The sentence fragments rolled off her tongue accidentally, in small hushed coos. She rolled onto her side, burying her face into her plush mattress and cradling her legs in her chest.

She didn't know what disturbed her more, the fact that she touched such a thing or that despite how much it pained her to admit, she didn't actually find it all the surprising. Not in the sense the she wasn't shocked, which she obviously was very, but in the way that it did sort of fit his personality. The revelation was sickening, or at least it should have been. She felt hallow and shocked but not at all disgusted in the way she thought she should have felt. She oddly felt more curious then anything. "In the subject itself," she said aloud, as if to reassure herself.

Now that she got that out she quickly turned to the next question, how the hell was she going to face him tomorrow? A distorted image of Snape kept reappearing in her mind, dressed in his usually dark fashion but was threateningly smacking a whip against his palm and staring back at her blurry-eyed.

The day ended so much faster then Hermione had hoped. She shuffled her supplies for her next class nervously as she made her way to the potions classroom. She guessed that maybe in a way she was almost excited to see what was going to happen. In comparison to the rest of her day mindlessly running around and studying this was the most definitely the most ''interesting part of it. Snapping herself out of her thoughts she saw Snape stiffly standing near the doorway of the classroom, collecting the other day's assignment from students with an abrupt stroke of his wand.

She pulled out her work from between the pages in her textbook, preparing herself for the awkward encounter. Lucky for her she finished her work the day before in detention because there was definitely no way she would have been able to do any work with what happened on her mind. From behind her Draco quickly shot past her, roughly bumping into her shoulder as he went. Her papers went flying out her hand and scattered on the floor around her.

A crisp voice spoke up. "Malfoy... Watch your step." Hermione's eyes went wide. Malfoy looked equally confused. She felt the Professor's eyes on her but refused to return his gaze. Rolling his eyes at the two, Snape waved his wand to collect the paper that had fallen out of Hermione's grasp and rushed the class inside. "The rest of the class... I expect you all to have your work at the front by the end of class. There will be no exceptions."

Hermione sat her self at her normal seat in the front and stared blankly at the chalkboard. What exactly was going on? Malfoy sat himself directly behind her, loudly pulling his chair out as to announce his presence.

Class began as it normally would with Snape talking monotonously at the student. Every now and then he would glance in her direction but for never more then a few seconds, much to her relief. She wondered what would posses Snape to start treating her like an actual human being. After the day before she couldn't imagine any reason he would have for-unless, she gripped her pencil tighter. He couldn't possible think that-. She stole a glance at him then quickly looked back at her textbook. No, no, it couldn't be anything that dirty. She bite her lip, upset she would think something so strange in the first place. He must have thought if he wasn't on his best behavior she might tell someone what she saw. And if that was it then it would prove what she found yesterday was less wholesome than he tried to sell.

Surprisingly, Malfoy hadn't said anything obnoxious all period. She wondered if him sitting in her proximity was just an idol threat. Malfoy was stupid but not dumb enough to defy Snape right in front of him. Anyway, she was grateful for his aid, regardless of how artificial it may or may not have been.

Hermione was surprised with how normal everything was so far, a few times she almost entirely forgot about the day before and her detention later on. She checked the clock hovering above the chalk board. Only a few more minutes before class ends. He stomach flipped. She looked up, accidentally meeting Snape's eyes. Professor Snape's emotions were impossible to read but she could have sworn that for a second he looked just as bothered as she was.

The bell finally rang and everyone hurried away back to the common rooms. The last person out the door was Malfoy, who graced her with the most mischievous smile before taking his leave. She wondered what exactly that blonde devil had on his mind.

Soon she was the only other person left in the room aside from Professor Snape. She gulped, folding her hands neatly on the desk. He hadn't directly addressed her yet, just as the day before. She hoped she would luck out and he would continue to ignore her for the next hour or so. But it was too early to say.

"Miss Granger... Yesterday, what exactly did you do to my supply room? I hope you weren't searching through it for those two troublesome friends of yours..."

His suddenness made her jump. "Oh! Um, I'm really sorry about the Professor! It was really nothing like that. I uh..." He voice trailed off for a second, trying to think of how to phrase herself. "Tripped. I'm truly very sorry. I tried to fix things as quickly as he could."

He sighed. "Obviously not a very good job... If you would have explained yourself I would have given you more time to clean, at the very least."

Again, Hermione found herself at a loss of words. Why was he being so-so different. She wanted to mention something about losing house points or not wanting to risk having another few detentions slapped on but held her tongue. "I can finish up cleaning it now if you'd like." Immediately after she'd spoken she wished she hadn't.

Snape pursed his lips. "Er, that won't be necessary..."

The air went tense again and Snape turned back to his work, fiddling with a stack of papers in his hand. She expected things to go back to how they were earlier but he spoke up again. "If you really want to make yourself useful you can grade these papers. I'm sure you know how to do that correctly."

Hermione nodded and stood up, strangely very eager to please him. Yesterday she was too engrossed with herself to imagine how he must have felt having someone, especially a student, finding something so personal. A wave of guilt overcame her for being so quick to judge him before. She sat herself a few seats away from Snape and began working on the stack. When she came across Malfoy's paper she was tempted to make him down an extra few marks but resisted the urge. She smirked, she supposed it wouldn't really make much of a difference anyway. His work was average at best.

"I assume you're on Malfoy's paper with that impish expression on your face." He was spot on.

"Er, yes. His work is no surprised."

He smiled, and as quickly as it appeared it vanished. "That's something we can both agree on."

Hermione didn't quite understand why but for some reason the cold professor Snape was radiating genuine emotional warmth. If she hadn't been there to witness it herself she wouldn't have believed it. Could it be she had been misinterpreting him this whole time? She felt like in the last thirty minutes she just spent speaking to him she got to know more about him then he did in the last three years sitting in his class. It always felt like he was singling the three of them out before but in hindsight it wasn't all that surprising considering all the trouble they often got into. It also wasn't like before he treated anyone different then he treated them.

"Professor, I'm done." She tapped the pages against the table, and handed the pages to him.

"Very good." An actual compliment escaping his mouth? She found it perplexing. She felt her heart quicken. She didn't think she would ever get use to it. "Thank you.." Hermione murmured a little late, looking at him with a slightly tilted head.

He stood up and went to log the grades. "That will be all for today. Thank you Ms. Grander. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

She quickly nodded her head and ran off. Her mind was blank, still unable to process what just happened. Snape; Professor Severus Snape was civil with her, had small talk with her, and complimented her for her help. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a flush fill her face. All the animosity she harbored for him before had vanished in only a few minutes, and what replaced it was too confusing to understand. She wanting nothing more then the clear her head. Having a good 20 minutes still left of lunch she hurried over to the dinning room. She felt anything but hungry but desperately craved the company of her friends.

They often frequented the same spot on the center table, making them easy to spot out. She loudly dumped her books on the table and sat besides them. Ron, who was still stuffing his face was the first to say something. "I heard Snape's being hard on you. 'Been keeping you in detention for the last couple of days."

Harry joined in, "It must be painful having to sit in a room alone with that guy for and extra half an hour." They both continued to share their distaste for the man very openly saying things that she definitely would have agreed with the day before. She kept her mouth shut, unsure of how to respond to it all.

"Me and Harry are going to head on over to Hogsmeade in a few. Herny's step brother is going to be there and apparently he's going to put on a show for whoever shows up. I know you're probably ganna yap on about how we could get expelled but would you care to join us?" Ron stuffed another biscuit in his mouth.

Again, she spoke before she fully thought things through, "Sure. I'd love to." She noted not to begin making a habit out of it.


	3. The Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hi! It's me again. Again, gotta apologize for all the mistakes. I literally marathoned this fic the last few days. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and the impossible amount of views I've been receiving. I'm still looking for a beta reader for minor plotting help. The HP universe is so complex, it's so impossible to get every detail correct. I love you all. Oh also, fair warning, expect M rated stuff very soon.
> 
> Oh also, fair warning, expect M rated stuff very soon.

It got darker faster than she had expected, leaving all the students wandering the path to Hogsmeade in almost pitch black, all relying on the dim lights off the tips of their wands.

The narrow stone pathway was covered in snow, only clear enough in some places just to know the general direction it was heading in. It made her uneasy, the pathway was so much different looking at night and there was no teach to accompany them in the case that anything were to happen to them. She, just as the rest of the students, have gone down this path enough times to know where they were going, but she still couldn't help the anxiety building in her gut.

Ron, who always seemed to have something on his mind, went on and on with Harry talking about the last Quidditch match she missed. They stood several steps ahead, easily walking over and through the thick snow Hermione found more difficult to maneuver. His breath was very visible in the air, the light shade of the mist contrasting with the dark surroundings. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, causing Hermione to roughly collide into his back. "You've been so quiet this whole time. It's so odd. Usually you're eager to argue with me. You act as if it's your first time sneaking out of the castle."

Hermione scowled and pushed his shoulder forward. "I'm sorry if I'm the only one ''slightly concerned for our well-being. What if something happened to us? Doesn't that concern either of you?"

"Um, no. Just calm down and try to have fun for once." Ron quickly retorted. Harry stood off to the side laughing meekly behind his palm. Hermione growled, which came out more like a high pitched whine, and turned away. She felt the wind pick up behind her, and adjusted her scarf around her neck.

It wasn't long before the village came in view and the old stone path turned into freshly-or fresher paved cement. Celebratory groans of their peers filled the air. Hermione turned to Ron who was still going on with Harry. "Where exactly are we supposed to meet Henry's cousin's brother, or whoever it was we came here for," she sounded more annoyed than she intended but she figured he would say something irritating sooner or later, as he always did time and time again.

"Um, over this way! Follow those two. They seem like that know where they're going." He scoffed, as if it was a given.

And there it was. She was annoyed. She would never understand how they could just go places without knowing where to go or what to do. She pursed her lips to keep from talking. The point of this trip was to get her mind off things and she was set on not letting Ron ruin it for her. Instead, she quickly jogged forward, scoping out the area ahead and following close behind the two leading.

The stopped at a small amphitheater someone far off to the side of the village. The found a spot near the trees and took a seat, waiting with that others for whatever was going to happen, happened. Ron's arm shot up, pointing to a group of three setting up for something in the corner. Hermione made herself comfortable in the snow, using her cape as a blanket to sit on. "There he is! That's Henry and his two brother. Looks like they're setting up for some kind of fireworks shows. This should be interesting. 'Hear he's like some kind of master of fireworks spells."

"This really should be interesting..." She mumbled not knowing what to expect.

She tried to keep her mind off it but her thoughts kept turning back to Snape. Things had been so odd between them lately. She wanted to talk to someone about it but she knew the boys would be no help. They would probably make things worse and try to accuse him of something. Ah, she thought, her guts twisting up inside. That's right. He was in a very very bad position because of her. If anyone ever found about it...

Then she knew that no matter what she must not let anyone find out. It was her fault after all. If she would have never been so careless in the first place none of this would have ever happened. She didn't understand why the thought made her gut wrench so much.

BOOM!

Her head shot up, adrenaline pulsing through her body.

"It's starting!" Ron roared, pulling Harry to his feet. He pointed to the sky, "isn't that just wicked?"

She had seen firework shows before in the human world but there were absolutely nothing like the kinds they had here. It amazed her, she's never seen quite so many firework explosions in the sky at the same time before.

"Oh, we are definitely going to get caught." Harry said, laughing and covering his head with his palms.

The bright colors reflected off the snow, illuminating the area around them. Hermione looked around in awe, forgetting to taking a breath. The sight was so unreal, like something straight out of a storybook or a movie. "It's beautiful."

She picked up a handful of snow in a childish display of innocence expecting it to be the same bright red color it was laying on the floor. She held it at a different angle till the snow caught the light. Satisfied, she smiled and threw the snow back to the floor. As she turned to catch the expressions on Ron and Harry's faces she caught something dark from the corner of her eyes. Her stomach dropped. A distance away Professor Snape was standing outside a misc shop staring directly at her. Looking as if he snapped out of a trance, his eyes met hers.

Hermione tugged on the corner of Ron's sweater. "Ron," she mumbled finding trouble getting the words out.

A voice shrieked from behind her, "Professor Snape!" In a flash the peaceful scene has gone to chaos with every student dashing in random directions trying to get away. A pair of arms, either Ron of Harry's took hold of her and threw her behind a shrub. The boys knelled next to her peeking out over the hedge. Hermione adjusted herself trying to get a good view of what was going on through the bush, because of the awkward position she was cramped in she didn't have much leeway with her movement.

An unknown pair of legs ran by, cursing as he chased after a pair of student. Snape stood in the distance, his position remained unchanged. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew he saw them, he was looking directly at her position behind the bush. He pursed his lips into a thin line making a sour expression before turning away and walking off. Ron, who was sure they were going to get caught, let out a sigh of relief before being shushed. Hermione was relieved she wasn't caught, for whatever reason, but couldn't help but wonder. What was Snape doing in Hogsmeade in the first place? When the noise began to die down Harry gently tapped their shoulders and whispered for them to follow his lead.

They followed an alternative way back to the castle, it was a lot longer and through the dreaded forest but they didn't have any other option. Hermione hated going through the forest, but she was sure Ron hated it more. The walk back was anything but silent, mostly filled with Ron and Harry laughing about their luck. "He was looking right at us! Can you believe that!" Ron exclaimed, kicking a rock to the side.

"Yeah," Harry replied, his voice more concerned this time. "It's a bit odd tho isn't it. What reason did he have to let us walk away like that? He absolutely detests us."

"I have no idea but I'm honestly just grateful. You never know. Did you see the look on his face? He was probably concentrating on something else. Maybe he just really likes fireworks."

Hermione snorted loudly, quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment. Harry joined in. "Yes, it makes complete sense. He hates everything but fireworks. They spark a flame in his void of a heart he's never felt before."

Eventually the castle came in view, and no surprise, it's exterior was covered with staff, waiting angrily for whoever was dumb enough to try to sneak back into to show up. Ron bit his nails, crouching behind a tree. "Any good ideas Hermione?"

She shook her head. It was starting to get really cold. She wrapped her arms around herself. The wind was picking up and the icy tree tops were beginning to sway along with it. "Or maybe we can try finding a way in through the back entrance. I'm sure it's going to be just as guarded but we should at least try."

They silently agreed and began walking the other direction, following the forestline to the back. It wasn't long before they made it to Hagrid's hut. The lights inside the small shack were still on. "Should we?" Hermione whispered.

"I don't think we have much of an option." Harry nodded and they quietly walked over to the shaking, first checking if the coast was clear before entering the clearing. Hermione carefully opened the doorknob, only to be greeted by Professor Snape and Hagrid standing in wait. "I really had no idea they'd be here." Hagrid said defensively.

"It's no problem I'll take them from here." Snape waved his hand, motioning the kids to follow him out. Hagrid looked confused, probably expecting him to cause him more trouble. He shrugged at the kids, who were just as confused as he was. The three were silent, all exchanging confused glances with each other. He was clearly annoyed, but not angry like he would usually be. His tone was sharp but calm, as if they were nothing but a slight inconvenience to him. Hermione grit her teeth, her insides more scrambled up then before. More than anything she felt guilty. She was terrified she ruined the relationship she built up with him.

"I'm sorry." Hermione said impulsively. The boys heads shot towards her with truly mystified disgruntled expressions. What are you doing? Ron mouthed, angrily.

Snape glanced back, his stress lines softened. He didn't reply back, but she understood and felt comforted.

Snape lead them to the front entrance. She stayed silent, her heart thumping crazily in her chest. They let them pass without asking much, much to their relief. He stopped, not a long way from the common room and shooed them away. "Ms. Granger. I think we have something to discuss." Hermione nodded and stayed behind. Her friends looked concerned, but listened. Once their footsteps were inaudible Snape cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Grander... I have been ''very clearly holding my tongue for you... Because of recent events and I am very unhappy to see you taking advantage of my... regrettable ease."

"I'm sorry I wasn't thinking-"

"Obviously."

"Please believe me, I wasn't trying to take advantage of your kindness. I would never."

Snape parted his lips, but hesitated. He rolled his tongue in his cheek before speaking again. "Detention then, Miss Granger. Multiple. Detentions."

"I don't want to catch you doing anything that stupid again. You can work on your homework after class while you also grade your peer's work as well." Oddly enough, it didn't feel like much of a punishment.

She nodded, bobbing her head up and down like an over-agreeable toddler. With a sigh, he dismissed her and they both took off in opposite directions. She hadn't noticed how exhausted she was till just now. She had been running on adrenaline this whole time, and now that the familiar warm scent of the common rooms filled her head she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.


	4. It Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey me again! I have a beta reader now and she is absolutely amazing! Her fanfiction UN is RPGgirl514, so check her stuff out! I really couldn't ask for more out of a beta reader.
> 
> All previous chapters will be updated soon(ish) so look out for that. Only minor details will be changed, so they shouldn't change how the story reads as a whole. Chapter releases may be delayed for a few days longer because of editing and whatnot. Also I will change the 'BDSM undertones' thing in the summary soon because it is less undertones now and just like straight BDSM haha.
> 
> And as always thank you so much for reviewing, following, and favoriting. Having my gmail spammed with alerts from you guys always brightens my day.

A couple of days passed with nothing too remarkable happening. Hermione helped Professor Snape out with whatever he asked. The tasks were usually simple, but always gave her enough to finish the work she had from the rest of her classes. She had developed a special hatred for fetching Snape's mail. At first she had wondered why Snape was so forceful with his owl but after having to fend the damned thing off from several nipping fits, she learned to head in with a certain mindset.

The two talked more often now, almost in the same way she would talk to a normal acquaintance ,as strange as it sounded. Most of the time he was lecturing her, but the more she got to know him she realized his constant scolding was his way of showing affection. He was genuinely concerned about her well-being.

He encouraged her to mark students off for whatever reason she wanted, whether it be the obnoxious writing tone of something or a simple misspelling. Suddenly she found her peers treating her with more respect once they realized she was the one grading their work. Despite that, she tried not to let her power get to her head and graded everything fairly. The only time she was especially harsh was when Draco was particularly irritating. Like the other day when he and his pack went out of their way to follow her to her next class and obnoxiously pretended to tug on her robes from behind.

"Granger, I need you to pick up something from the library for me." Snape wrote the book title on a scrap piece of parchment paper and handed it to her. "Hurry back."

Hermione took the scrap, nodding listlessly in response. She would be able to stretch out her legs. She threw her bookbag over her shoulder and set out, her legs loudly creaking and cracking in the silence. The halls were mostly empty, making it easier to navigate about. She was also happy to avoid the pity-filled stares of her classmates and whispers as she walked by. Strangely, her punishment had caused somewhat of a political issue among her classmates. "Poor Hermione, Snape has really been focusing all his anger on her lately." "At least it's been stopping him from messing with the rest of us," was usually how they went.

It felt like years had passed since the last time she had been inside the library. She had spent so much time in there it felt like a second home to her. Everything was still in place from her last visit, except the spot in the corner she usually sat in was occupied by a noisy group of Slytherins. She fought back a groan, trying to make things easier on herself by going against her usually outspoken nature. She wanted to get this trip done as fast as possible, return to the potions classroom to finish her work and that was it. There was no need to have any more angry Slytherins after her.

After clearing her check-out for Snape with the librarian, she slipped behind the nearest bookshelf and to the back section. As she browsed the titles she couldn't help but pick up on the not-very school-appropriate conversation the group was having. The librarian had left the room, or so she assumed, because there was no way Madam Pince would have sat by while they were talking about such things.

"Oh wow, so what was next?" The bulkier one said to the other, nudging his side. They looked familiar but not enough to put a name to their faces. She might have saw them hanging around Malfoy at some point.

"You wouldn't believe it, it was pretty surprising for me too. A Hufflepuff girl into such kinky shit. It sounded like a dream."

"A dream come true!" They both laughed, and again Hermione found herself withholding another groan.

"So I when I had the chance I slipped off to Hogsmeade, you know, the night of the show and all that mess," he said. "I got this book and I gave her a great time ,I'd say." He tossed the book on the table.

Her interests were piqued. She took a few steps toward them and removed a book from the shelf, creating a hole for her to look through. A thick coating of dust that was previously covering the shelf flew around her. She covered her mouth with her palm, fighting the urge to sneeze.

"But the book is total bull. It doesn't have any of the stuff in it I thought it would. I had to do most of the actual 'scene' thinking myself."

She caught a short glimpse of the cover, only catching the name. 'Bondage and BDSM: An Introduction,' she repeated curiously in her mind. It sounded as tasteful as it could possibly be she supposed. The group soon changed subjects, going on to talk about the boring lecture they got from Professor McGonagall after getting caught and other subjects she was equally uninterested in. She went back to looking for the book, repeating the name in her head, trying to keep herself on track.

"OH BUGGER! She's waiting for me, I almost forgot!" The boy screamed, running out of the library, and leaving his things behind. His friends, who were equally surprised, chased after him, grabbing most of his stuff and taking them with them.

She tried to ignore them and continued looking for the book. Finally finding it, she quickly grabbed it and went to leave, passing by the table the group sat at to see if her intuitions were correct. And they were. Near the edge of the table laid alone the book the boy was so carelessly swinging around in the air earlier. She ran her fingers over the cover, sliding it into her bag before running out.

Out of breath, she stopped in front of the door to Snape's classroom to recollect herself before entering. She took a deep breath and walked inside. "Sorry if that took long, there was some traffic in the library," she lied. He stared at her, giving her a look that made her wonder if he knew better. She smiled awkwardly, sitting back down in her spot directly across from him. She wrapped her book bag around itself, to make sure nothing accidentally slipped out, and placed it on the floor next to the back legs of her stool.

"Is that so?" He took the book from her and placed it to the side of his desk, showing absolutely no interest in it. He intertwined his fingers together and cleared his throat. Her uncomfortable behavior spoke volumes; she wasn't fooling anyone. "Do you have something to say? Speak up now." His eyes narrowed, determined to get to the bottom of things, she assumed. His presence was growing, as if it wasn't already impossible to ignore.

"N-no! It's nothing important! Sorry!" She laughed, trying to think of something to change the subject with. She brought up the first thing that came to mind. "What did you want that book for anyway? Is it about something you're planning to teach us in class?"

"Which is it? Do you not want to share or is it nothing?" The words rolled off his tongue, ending each word with a sharp click.

She found herself in an uncomfortable position. "It's nothing, really." She picked up her pencil and tried to look busy so he wouldn't question her any further. He said nothing more on the matter but she could still feel his burning gaze on her. She felt guilty for lying to him, and if these was a way to explain herself without putting herself in a compromising position she would. She also had a feeling if she said anything more she would basically be digging herself her own grave. Snape was very cunning and knew the right things to say to get what he wanted. It was best to avoid his questions all together.

Not much time passed before Snape dismissed her. She could tell by the slight change in his body language he was feeling uneasy, but she pretended not to notice. She clutched her book bag firmly in her hand, ready to get out of there with it. Hermione took the quickest route back to the dorms, nearly slipping as she went.

She sat on her bed with the curtains drawn around her, giving her the most privacy she could in the noisy dorm room. The book was in front of her, and now with the opportunity she had no idea what to do. 'This wasn't considered stealing was it?' She thought, running her fingers over the silky cover. The librarian would have have a heart attack if she saw something like this lying around, and the boy it belonged to probably would have gotten in trouble for having it. Perhaps in a way she was doing everyone a favor? Somehow she had trouble convincing herself that completely, but it was a good enough excuse for now.

With a deep breath she took the book into her arms and began reading the back cover. 'So, BDSM, huh?'

She had heard of it before in books, which oddly enough seemed to be a constant underlying theme in most of the fiction she'd read secretly, but she never actively sought it out. So in a sense it wasn't like the 'kink scene', as the book described it, was entirely new to her. She replaced the awkward paper book cover with another random book cover lying around her room and set it on her lap, flipping it to index page. The book itself seemed to be a more informational take on BDSM, describing the ethics and emotional impact of the play more then the play itself.

She skimmed over the forward, her eyes darting across the small print font until something caught her eye. It was a small passage about spanking, flogging and other methods of punishment, whatever that was. She felt her face flush and she adjusted the book awkwardly, hiding it more in her lap. Her eyes scanned the passage again, trying to keep images of Professor Snape and his flogger out of her mind for long enough to take it in.

Confused about some of the terms used, she flipped back a few pages to read the basics. Okay, she thought, again shifting into another sitting position. So a dominant is the one who typically does the whipping as either for play or as punishment for his submissive.

She furrowed her eyebrows, continuing onto the section describing the role of the submissive. The submissive decides their own boundaries and consents to everything done to them. At first she was confused with who would ever consent to something like being controlled or whipped, but when asking herself the same question her answer was slightly more complicated than a simple 'yes' or 'no'. On one hand answering yes; that she would consent to such a thing would make her question her own well-being. While whipping was definitely out of the question, the more mild forms of punishment such as spanking didn't sound so bad. And on the other hand, answering 'no' felt more forced than anything.

The more she read on the subject the less perverse it sounded. The way everything was described in the book actually made it sound better than typical relationship dynamics in some ways. Everything seemed to revolve around both partner's consent, so it wasn't like the dominant partner had all the power and could use and abuse their submissive partner as much as they pleased.

She closed the book and stuffed it under her pillow, having had enough of it for the day. Her head was jumbled up with a cloud of messy thoughts and confusion. She didn't want to admit to herself her sudden interest in the subject could indicate something else. While the book had changed her opinions on some things, one thing it couldn't change was the negative social stigma attached to it. Admitting she liked it meant she was basically classifying herself as a weird sexual deviant with past trauma, like she had been so quick to accuse Snape of being before. But when she thought of Snape now she saw none of those things.

She closed her eyes and pulled the covers over herself. Lately she hadn't been getting enough sleep; there were too many things to do and thoughts running through her head. She never had time to herself, something she had come accustomed to from studying so much before, and now whenever she did she was plagued with thoughts of her predicament. For once all her stress wasn't entirely academic-related. Once she realized how tired she was, like a blessing, sleep quickly took her.

"My, my, Ms. Granger, now what did I say about running your mouth?"

She looked up at him from her spot kneeling on the floor. The space around them was pitch black, only the two of them alone in the dark void of the room, wherever it was at. Snape stood ahead of her more dressed down than usual. His collared shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest, and his overcoat was laying lazily off to the side along with his thin leather belt.

The first thing she noticed about herself were the ropes. Her arms were tired firmly behind her back, her wrists to her ankles. The second thing she noticed was the cool breeze between her thighs. She clasped them as firmly together as she could. She wasn't wearing much either, hardly anything in comparison. Her blouse was completely undone, and the plaid school skirt she often sported was much shorter than she remembered.

"I'm sorry Professor, I didn't mean to-"

"I've had enough of your excuses. Actions have consequences." Severus wrapped one arm around her waist, playfully tugging at the rope with one hand, and firmly held her chin up with the other. His hands were rough, and she enjoyed the texture. She closed her eyes to focus on how it all felt. She could sense him hovering above her, more of his touch almost within reach. She wanted more of his body on her, but couldn't do much in her current position. The ropes were tight and severely limited her movement. She was sure that was how Professor Snape preferred it.

The air was heavy, and for once Hermione didn't want to think. When she was with him it was like the burden of everyday life was taken off her. Always being 'the brains'; the one who was always expected to know the right thing to do and figure things out made Hermione feel like Atlas, bearing the weight of the world upon her shoulders.. It was nice, maybe once in a while, not to have to worry about such things.

"Children get punished for playing games Granger." His voice was raw. He ran his palm down her neck, it sent shivers through her spine. She arched her back, bringing herself closer to him. Her skirt hiked higher up her thigh, revealing the lace trim of her underwear. But only the slightest. His eyes wandered below for a fraction of a second.

"How shameless Miss Granger." His expression remained unchanged, and just as unreadable as ever.

She watched him, fully engrossed, and excited for whatever was going to happen next. He pulled out something familiar from behind his back. She gulped. An eager moan escaped her lips.

Hermione jumped out of bed, gasping.

She didn't know what had come over her. Not in a million years could she ever picture herself doing anything like that. She felt dirty and embarrassed that not only was she having strange kink-centric dreams about her teacher, but because of how her body now still twitched in excitement because of it. Her pleading thoughts still echoed uncomfortably in her head. She bit her bottom lip, hard. She regretting picking up the book. She would return it tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> teacher thing, except with little plot and mostly smut. I’m not sure what it’s going to be yet but it might just be a collection of drabbles. It’s not really important to this story but I just thought I’d explain a bit.Thanks for the favorites, follows, and the reviews. I cannot explain how much I love receiving feedback-

Hermione loosened the collar around her neck, her hands shaking slightly as she undid the first button on her blouse. It was much too hot in the hallways, and that combined with her nervousness made the discomfort almost unbearable. Snape was walking her way, heading to his classroom. As his eyes caught hers the suspicious expression on his face from the day before returned. His eyes studied her, dipping at the undone button then shooting away. 

Getting rid of the book would prove to be a challenge. She hadn’t fully figured out what she was going to do with it yet. She supposed anything was better than keeping it. Her main plan was to leave it somewhere in the library where the Slytherin boy could possibly find it again, but she wasn’t ruling out the idea of ditching it in a toilet stall. 

Upon arriving in the classroom she sat a few seats down from where she would normally be. She was too obvious yesterday, practically fanning it’s existence in her Professor’s face. After placing all the stuff she would need for this period on her desk she slid her nearly empty bookbag under her thigh. With all the people around she didn’t trust leaving it anywhere anyone but she could get to it. Unforchantly sitting so near the back put her closer to where Malfoy usually lurked. She didn’t think he would try anything but it was something she noted. 

“Granger,” called an unpleasant voice. Speak of the devil, she thought, trying to look busy.

“What do you want Malfoy?” Hermione flipped through the pages of her textbook, skimming the passage.

“Why was I marked off for ‘coffee stains’ on my paper’? What kind of bullshit reason is that?” He shot back.

“And why do you think it was me? That sounds disgusting. Think about the poor Professors who have to handle your food-encrusted papers.”

“Very funny, mudblood. I know it was you. Who else hangs around the Potions Professor like an eager-to-please lapdog.”

She stood up to give him a piece of her mind. “You listen here, you over-privileged pureblood twat--”

“That will be enough Ms, Granger.” Snape intervened, putting himself in between the two. He took the paper from Draco and held it to his chest. “I will fix this for you. Sit down.” He shot Hermione an annoyed look.

“Thank you, Professor Snape. Oh, and you should really see what she’s hiding in her bookbag. I think she might have stolen something for her idiot friends.” He returned to his seat, loudly pulling out his chair before he plopped himself down.

Hermione stayed quiet, glaring into the pages of her textbook. Her face was hot. She wondered how Snape could stand up for someone like him. He was most likely trying to make things easier for the both of them by giving into Draco’s unrealistic demands, but still. He called her that word. Wasn’t that also worth a scolding? Or did it not mean anything to him.

The class settled down and Snape began his lesson. Still upset over everything, Hermione couldn’t pay attention to what was being taught. She would have to go back over everything in her textbook tonight when she was more level-headed. She couldn’t stand that she could hear Draco snickering behind her. She tried to tune everything out, focusing on the wall to her side. Her finger fiddled with the zipper to her bookbag.

The bell went off quicker than she had hoped, and Hermione again stayed behind. She hadn’t said a word since the beginning of class, refusing to show even the slightest bit of attention till her feelings were recognized. She say Snape approaching her out of the corner of her eyes. 

“Granger, your bag please.”

Hermione instinctually hid it behind her and shook her head rapidly, “You don’t believe him do you?”

“Children get punished for playing games Granger.” All the blood drained from her face and she was dumbfounded. Looking outside the window, as far away from him as possible, she weakly handed him the bag. She heard him rustling with her belonging until he came across something and suddenly stopped. She refused to look at him but she had a good feeling she knew what he found. He flipped through through the pages, taking an excruciatingly long time to get through it.

When he was finally finished he looked up, his eyes like daggers. He started slowly, “Do you want to talk about this?”

She didn’t know how she was going to get out of this one. “No, I would really rather not.” 

“Sorry, I phrased that as a question when in fact it was a statement. As your Professor we are going to talk about this right now. Do you understand how much trouble you would be in if anyone else found this, Ms. Granger?” She was not going to get out of this one.

Still refusing to return his eye contact she looked down at her hands, fiddling nervously with them in her lap.

“Ms. Granger,” He dropped the book loudly on the table to get her attention, and as he thought her eyes darted up. “Pay attention.”

She bit her lip and refocused her eyes, nervously meeting his own. They were dark, intense. She could tell he was serious, and she couldn’t believe what was happen. How could he take his word over hers, after all this time they’ve spent together? 

“Okay,” she started, spouting out the first thing that came to mind, “It isn’t mine--I, I just picked it up because I was interested but please, I wasn’t the one who brought this into the castle; it was another Slytherin boy.”

He pursed his lips. “Ah.” 

Realizing the implication of what she said she quickly picked up where she left off. “No, it’s not like that. I mean it was just a random Slytherin boy I met in the library--” She stopped again, embarrassed she wasn’t able to find the right words to explain herself. She studied Snape’s expression. The more she went on the more annoyed he seemed to get. 

“I am not particularly in the mood to hear about your apparent wild affairs.”

Determined to clear her name she continued, even daring to interrupt Snape to do so. “I’m not having any wild affairs! I was just curious and I took the book when they accidentally left it at the table!”

“So, there was more than one of them now?” She went silent, not sure how to reply to that. For a second she could have sworn her heart stopped beating. 

He sighed, folding his arms over each other. “Sarcasm, Granger.”

Relief hit her like a wave, momentarily calming her ever-racing heart. She took the short silent moment she had before Snape continued his lecture to recollect herself. How was this happening? Her face was burning and she held back tears. 

“Now what should I do about this?” He stood up, pacing around her threateningly. “I tried giving you detention time and time again but it never does get the message through your skull.”

“I’m sorry.” She blurted out. “I was curious, I wanted to learn. There was no other way. Would you rather have me find another student to teach me?”

He didn’t answer. He looked away, which Hermione found odd. It almost looked as if he was bothered by the suggestion. 

“Until I can think of a suitable punishment for you you may return to your room.” She nodded quickly, removed herself from the room. Her stomach was turning. She felt like she was going to vomit. She stopped at the nearest bathroom and stumbled into the nearest stall. Her head hovered above the toilet seat, waiting for something to happen. Eventually her stomach calmed down and she sat down on the seat.

Her face was on fire, and more than anything she wanted to cry but she wouldn’t let herself. She felt angry that he was so insistent, but she wasn’t at all surprised. She wasn’t thinking when she brought the book with her a second time. Of course Snape would automatically assume she was up to no good. She stood up, carelessly slamming the stall door shut behind her. She stared at herself in the mirror and just as she thought her face was flushed and eyes swollen. She turned on the sink and rinsed her face in the cold water. She really didn’t want to know what Snape thought of her now.

Hermione got no sleep that night. She couldn’t get that day’s confrontation out of her head. By all means she was a practical girl, but if she could rather die of some unknown cause instead of having to see him tomorrow she would pick that option. 

\---

She was lucky and Snape’s presence was called upon elsewhere halfway through her class period, delaying her awkward encounter for a while longer. 

Class was over and Hermione finally had to return back to his classroom to face him. The entire day she had been doing her best to avoid him as much as she could. If she had to go get something she would take the long way around the other side of the room rather than pass by him. She didn’t want to see how he looked at her now. A few times, she thought he might have noticed and lingered by her desk, but she was sure she was just imagining things. The only way she could picture that truly having been the case was if it was out of some kind of pity. Draco’s dumb outburst the other day must have planted something in his head.

She wasn’t a dumb school girl with a crush on her Potions teacher. She refused to believe so, but the fact that she had to convince herself made her wonder if it was really true or not. He was always on her mind as of late. She would be crazy to deny that hadn’t meant anything. Even if it was, there was no way he shared the same feelings. With her being a student and him being her teacher; it was literally a disaster waiting to happen. 

She gulped, waiting for her classmates to clear the room. As they filed out, one by one, the atmosphere became heavy and again Hermione found it difficult to breathe. The last student left, letting the door close loudly behind him and she took it as her cue to enter.

“Ms. Granger.” He said, noticing her immediately.

She couldn’t bring herself to look up. She clenched her fists. Hermione had prepared herself for his worst.

“Yesterday…” he began, “Yesterday, I was going to ask if you would care to help me collect mushrooms from the Forbidden Forest. They’re a special kind that we are lucky enough to have growing right in our backyard. I will need them for class next week.”

But it wasn’t. His voice was gentle. She nodded, still looking down at her nails. 

“You may leave for now if you wish. Come back here to meet me before supper ends.”

She calmed enough to return his gaze. There was a kindness in his expression she had only seen a few times before, when they were working together on grading papers or when he laughed at something witty she said. Though the hurricane inside her gut was still raging on, things hadn’t turned out nearly as bad as she thought.

“No, I’ll stay. I haven’t felt very hungry as of late.” She forced a small smile.

“Nonsense. I insist that you go eat. You look peaked.”

“I’m really fine.”

He didn’t look convinced. “Please, go eat and come back when you’re done. I’ll be waiting.”

Finally giving in she took her stuff and headed off to the Great Hall. She didn’t have much time left to eat anyway, she would have been better off staying in the classroom. There was no way she could force anything down in her current state. A large portion of students were heading back to their common rooms or lingering in the hallways. The Gryffindor table was just as lively as always. She was happy to see Harry and Ron were still sitting at the usual tables eating. 

“Where have you been?” Ginny asked, greeting Hermione to the table with a smile. Hermione was surprised she hadn’t already heard.

“Detention.” Ron interjected. 

“I still can’t believe this all started from something so small.” Harry remarked.

“I can believe it.” Ron added, “You know how she is. Always running her mouth. “

“Shut it,” Hermione said. “I was just trying to tell him I found some of the information out of the textbooks he was teaching us with were outdated. I wasn’t trying to upset anyone.”

“He gave you this much detention for that?” Ginny asked in disbelief.

“No, er, not exactly,” she said, glaring daggers at Harry and Ron. “The first two were for that. The rest of them were because these two somehow convinced me into sneaking out with them to see a stupid fireworks show. You two should be grateful he let us off so easily.”

Harry leaned forward, “I wonder why he felt the need to personally oversee your punishment? The rest of us have to deal with Professor McGonagall and 5am volunteer work around the castle.” The suspicion in his tone was evident. “It can’t be coincidence. I think he’s planning something.” 

“He’s not planning anything against us, Harry! Please, he is our teacher and he is only doing what is right.” Hermione was quick to jump in. She had no idea where Harry was getting this from. She wondered how they could be so quick to judge him. 

“You’re very quick to defend him Hermione,” Ron butted in. “You know, I heard Malfoy saying something about Snape having a soft spot for you... If you keep it up everyone’s gonna start saying you two are in love.”

“Ron!” Ginny scolded, pushing him aside. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just being an arse.” Hermione smiled, satisfied with at least Ginny having her back. She tried to listen to Ginny’s advice but she couldn’t help but think over Ron’s words. Was that really what people thought about her and Snape?

Ron rolled his eyes, got up and pulled Harry along with him. “Well, me and Harry have some business to attend to somewhere else. I hope you two have fun kissing Professor Snape’s arse.” Harry stood up and followed behind, meekly waving goodbye before he left.

Ginny sighed, putting a hand on Hermione’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about them. Really, the two of them never have any idea what they’re talking about.” 

Ron’s words echoed in her head again, worry written all over her face. That wasn’t a rumor she really wanted to encourage. It would only cause trouble for the both of them, especially Professor Snape. For his sake, she would try to keep her distance from this point forward, or at least when people were looking.

Soon she said goodbye to Ginny and ran off, leaving five minutes before they all were to return to the common rooms. She sprinted down the hallways, stopping when she saw Snape’s dark figure standing in the distance. She wondered how long he had waited there for her. She felt guilty about how badly her friends had talked about him before. If only they had got to know him the way she did, they would have known he could actually be rather agreeable. “Sorry, I hope I didn’t keep you long.”

His eyes lit up as he turned to her. “No, no. It’s fine. I’m assuming you took so long because you ate like I suggested.”

She nodded, suddenly noticing the hunger pains in her stomach. Maybe she should have listened to him. It wasn’t often he was wrong.

He sighed and turned away, leading her down the hallway. “Considering all the times you’ve been out past curfew hours before I assume you know what I’m about to say. You must stay by my side and in my sights at all times. Wandering off, even for a second, will not be permitted.” She followed him out the nearest exit, noting the incoming storm clouds in the distance. She hoped they made it back in time before the weather took a turn for the worse. Hermione couldn't imagine anything worse than being caught in a storm in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night.. From his expression he was probably thinking the same as she. 

She followed him a decent length into the forest before they came across a small clearing filled with strange looking mushrooms. They all were colored slightly differently but had the cone shaped heads. Snape stopped and pulled out a gardening tool to hand to her. “Strange little things aren’t they? I don't recommend touching the boils on them. They carry a puss-like substance inside of them that leave an unpleasant tingling sensation on the skin. They are good for brewing potions, but not much else.”

Hermione mentally noted everything he said, hoping this would come in handy in their next test. “What kind of brews are they used for? And their alternative uses, if any?”

“The brews I will go over in class, but the alternative uses are not so child-friendly Granger.” He shoved his trowel into the dirt, beginning to collect the mushrooms. 

“I am not a child--,” she corrected, in an irritated tone, “you can tell me what they’re used for.”

“Yes, of course.” The corner of his mouth lifted, in a small crooked smile. “They can also be used in potions or mixtures of the sexual sort, but I do not teach those kinds of things to students.” 

Hermione blushed, embarrassed she had said anything in the first place.

After collecting a good amount of the mushrooms she handed a small pile to him, confused with what to do with them. Without much of a thought he shoved them into the pockets thick overcoat. It was kind of strange, her noticing little things about him like that. For the incredibly intelligent man he was, he often had a simple answer for the problems placed in front of him. She found it oddly charming.

From above she heard thunder rumbling. She bit her lip, wondering if the forest could get any creepier.

From the corner of her eye she noticed something dark shoot by. She wondered if she was just imagining things, but Snape had noticed too. She starting to ask a question, only to be shushed by her narrow-eyed Professor. She backed up closer to him, his presence behind her comforting. They readied themselves, pulling out their wands and holding it in defensive position. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her behind him. The dark flash whipped by again and she was pushed against the tree by her Professor, shielding her with himself.

His body pressed against hers, one palm over her mouth and the other other firmly holding her against the tree. She stopped breathing, afraid even that was too loud. Snape checked around the corner. After he decided the coast was clear he abruptly let her go, taking a few steps away. He mumbled an apology and turned away, picking right back up where he left off. She held her place against the tree, her nails still digging into the bark. She hoped that from where she was standing he could not see the warmth grow on her face.

“I apologised if I frightened you.”

She shook her head and stumbled forward, returning back her position kneeling beside him. Her shaky hands searched for the trowel. Her hand came across something warm and fleshy - Snape’s hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers. 

“Let’s head back.” 

“No, please, let’s finish up.” she forced out an awkward laugh, “I understand it was just a precaution. There could be anything out here…”

He didn’t look convinced with her answer, but he stayed none the less. His hand lingered over hers for a few seconds longer before they both pulled away and went back to harvesting mushrooms in silence. After they collected a decent amount of them, filling up all the pockets on their coats, they decided to head back to the castle. Just in time, she thought as tiny droplets of water started to fall from the sky.

Snape lifted up his cloak, sheltering both of them from the rain that began to engulf them. “Is that all for today?” She asked, holding tightly onto the edge of his cloak.

“Yes,” he replied, hurrying her to the nearest entrance. “Thank you for your help, Granger.”

Hermione was mostly unacquainted with the part of the castle they were in. All she knew was that one hallway lead to the Potions classroom and the other one lead to the Slytherin common room. He made a sharp turn right into a unknown door and she did her best to follow him, jogging quickly behind him into the room. 

The room was lined with shelves of potions and other miscellaneous jars that gave off a strong bitter-sweet odor. She had heard about this place before from students unlucky enough to end up here after class. It was Professor Snape’s office. Aside from the jars there wasn’t much else in the room, only the bare essentials, a desk and a chair to make it somewhat liveable. To the far left there was a table hidden behind one of the shelves, and she followed him into there. 

“I assume you want to refresh yourself here instead of heading back to the Gryffindor dorms and waking everyone up.” He disappeared behind a large cloth that was draped over another opening, leaving her to her own devices. The room was about the size of her parent’s master bedroom back at home and had a similar set up. There was a large bed in the furthest corner of the room, a fireplace, and a decently-sized bath to the right. 

She cast a spell on herself, removing all trace of water and dirt of her clothing. It was good enough for now but nothing replaced a good hot bath. 

Snape returned to the room again with a tray holding enough tea for two. “You may use the bathe if you want but I understand if it’s something you’re not comfortable with. You may also leave whenever you are ready.” He handed her a mug and took a seat in front of the fireplace.   
She took a sip out of respect, but quickly put it down aside her because the heat burnt her hands. She watch Snape sit quietly at the fireplace, holding his mug firmly with both hands. The skin on his hands must have became thick from working with potions for so long. Their rough texture was also something she noticed when his hand were crossed with hers. Thinking back to that, she could feel her face begin to flush. 

Before running off to the restroom she muttered a small thank you. Like the rumors she had heard about the teacher’s private quarters, the restroom has a luxurious feel to it. The walls and tiles were pure black, and everything matched the simple monotone color scheme. The bathroom was very cold unlike the rest of his room and she hurried to turn on the water once she stripped her clothes off. 

There was only one bottle of unknown soap sitting at the corner of the tub. Hermione smiled, assuming it was the one he used for everything. It was a very male-minded trait he shared with her friends. She stopped the water flow when the tub filled halfway and impatiently stepped in. The water not being too cold or too hot, she quickly made herself comfortable in the tub. Despite the unwelcoming colors of the room she thought she could spend hours like this, relaxing in Snape’s tub. She didn’t keep track of how long she spent in there in between washing her bushy hair, she forgot she was to be heading back to her dorm soon. When she finally got out she rushed to get all her clothes back on, afraid she had long stayed her welcome. 

Steam escaped into the mainroom as she meekly opened the door. Snape, who was still on his chair, had fallen asleep. She took her spot back on the floor and said nothing, staring off into the fire. Her tea had gone cold. 

She continued to remind herself that she had to leave, that under no circumstances was she to stay there. She thought back on Snape’s words, lazily laying her head down. He didn’t sound like he was too rushed to get her out of her room. If he was he would have made sure to stay away long enough to kick her out. She considered waking him up to ask him what he wanted, but right now asleep, he looked the most at ease than she’s ever seen before. After some convincing she let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep. 

She woke up on the mattress, tucked into emerald sheets.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey! I’m really happy with all the positive feedback I’ve been receiving lately. You guys are amazing. So now that we’ve gotten onto the real plot expect chapters to be more around this length or longer. I’m still in the process of editing the first 3 chapters just in case anyone was wondering. I’m focusing all my time on making more content I haven’t had time to go back and edit the rest when I have more time.

She woke up on the mattress, tucked into emerald sheets.

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open, fading in from static. She rubbed her eyes, pushing the sheets off to the side and rising to elbows. Ah, that’s right. She looked around the room, the memories of the night before slowly making their way back into her head. She was inside Professor Snape’s bedroom. She had another one of those dreams. She shuddered, pressing her thighs firmly together. Thinking about her Professor that way in his own bed, she worried, biting her lip, how dirty. Her eyes darted to the chair when he had been asleep before. When she found he wasn’t there she wasn’t entirely surprised. She just hoped wherever he was he would return soon, she didn’t know what to do with herself alone in his quarters. 

She looked around the room, trying to get the dream out of her head., more of its fine intricate details sticking out in the dim early morning daylight then the burnt-amber glare of the fireplace. Everything in the room looked ancient, like the beautiful old wooden furniture in her house her parent’s got from their parents, their parents before them and so on. She assumed the windows the lights were coming from were artificial being as far into the dungeons they were, but beautiful nonetheless. The curtains above it were mostly closed, but opened enough in the corners that it allowed the light to illuminate that room. From her side she heard a deep groan. She turned, and much to her surprise it was Snape lying asleep aside her. There he is, she thought, immediately comforted by his presence.

He wore a loose fitting white button up with his plain black school slacks. She brought the sheets back up from the edge of the bed and put it back on top of him. What am I doing here? Hermione wondered what happened to her resolve yesterday.

His chest rose and fell with every steady breath. She wasn't doing him any favors by hanging around so closely. She didn't know what she was thinking, spending the night in her Professor's bedroom. He must have not said anything to be polite. She had to be completely out of her mind to stay anyway. If anyone were to find out, her actions would reflect badly on him. Technically she was a year over the age of consent, but that still didn't excuse sleeping with her teacher. Even in the most innocent of terms.

The stress wrinkles on his face were settled as much as she imagined they ever could be. She noticed it last night too. He looked so calm. She moved her hand towards him, not sure what she was going to do it but quickly pulled back when he started to murmur himself awake. Unsure of what to do she quickly closed her eyes and faced the ceiling. The sheets rustled, and Snape was off his back, rolled onto his side. He cleared his throat and repositioned himself on the bed. Her eyes were sealed shut, but she soon felt his strong gaze rest on her. It made her uneasy, as his gaze always did. 

He softly ran his hand across her face, which surprised her. It took every ounce of her control not to jump back. He brushed her bushy hair out of her face, resting his hand in place for a second before removing himself from the bed. She heard him storm off into another room and a door clicking behind him. 

What was that? She asked herself, raising her hand to her cheek. She could still feel his lingering touch on her. She shook her head, trying to get a hold of herself. Right now she didn’t have time to be lovestruck. She got up from the bed and got ready to leave, putting on her socks and shoes that were neatly placed near the edge of the bed. Finished, she took another look around the room, surveying it. There was one place she hadn’t looked. Her eyes looked to the hidden hallway in the corner, completely blocked out of view by the drapery. 

She hesitated, afraid to betray Snape’s trust if it had been anything he wanted to hide. Still, curiosity got the best of her and she began moving in its direction. To her surprise it was just a small kitchen with a small table for one and storage room. In comparison to his office workspace and bedroom this room was a bit messier and looked more lived-in. The wallpaper was a yellowing minimalistic floral pattern and was chipping off in spots. In a way, seeing how he lived showed her a different part of him, like the other day when she was surprised to see him carelessly fill his pockets with mushrooms. Professor Snape really wasn’t that rigid unfeeling person she had been convinced he was only a few months before. She got a lot of similar comment about herself from her peers but experiencing the feeling firsthand was strange. 

“I see you found your way to the backroom.” Snape entered the room from behind her. He swayed his wand, a warm mug of coffee headed her way.

She took the mug and lifted it to her nose. It smelled richly of pumpkin spice and vanilla bean. She was usually more of a tea person but she would let it slide this time. “Thank you. It smells amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He sat down at the table, pulling a chair out for her to join him. “I assumed you wanted to floo back to your common room before the others awoke. It’s still very early so you can leave after you eat.” To be honestly, she wasn’t feeling very hungry that morning but she picked up an apple anyway from a tray on the center of the table and awkwardly brought it to her lips. Hermione took a bite, chewing it slowly. He was oddly persistent about watching her eat. 

Satisfied, he huffed, sat back in his chair and began to read the Daily Prophet, taking a long sip of coffee. His eyes darted impressively fast across the page, quickly flipping to the next as expected of a Hogwarts professor. He cleared his throat, disrupting the silence she had oddly found more soothing than not. “I thought over what happened yesterday and I decided on a proper punishment for having smut on your person.”

“Ah.” She was hoping he had forgotten about that.

“You have a free class period next quarter, am I correct?”

She nodded, not quite catching on.

“You will be aiding me with some of the things you have already been doing. I have been in need of a teacher’s assistant for sometime now.”

“Y-yes it would be no problem at all!” She piped, sounding more excited then she intended. She hadn’t noticed a smile was plastered to her face as she spoke. If he was asking her to be his assistant, something that required them both being in close proximity for a good portion of the day, it must have meant in some way he enjoyed having her around. Still, it sounded like a bit of a stretch but she knew he definitely wouldn’t ask Harry or Ron to substitute detention with him for the same thing.

Her overenthusiastic response caught him off guard, but he looked pleased. “I’ll only need you to be here during that period and occasionally after school but you are free to spend your lunch however you wish.”

Out of nowhere a question formed in her head. Truthfully, it’s something she had been wondering about for a while now, but she hadn’t had the courage to bring it up before. She parted her lips to say something but quickly closed them, unsure of how to properly word it. “I’ve been meaning to ask, and excuse me if it’s too intrusive, but considering you’ve been through my belongings it might not be too out of place.”

“Well, spit it out already,” Snape commanded.

She knew she would regret it later but it was too late to go back now. “What was that whiplike thing doing in your supply closet to begin with?”

He put the newspaper down and rested his chin on his palm. “For warding off Hagrid’s creatures.”

It was his turn to explain himself. “Really?” She tutted, mimicking his posture.

“I don’t appreciate your persistence Granger, but if I must say,” he cleared his throat again, and placed his mug to the side. “It’s something I haven’t used in years, so it was just as much a surprise to me when I found it in there.” He didn’t say it, but Hermione knew that he knew she was well aware of what it was used for. “And may I ask why you were interested in such a book?” 

Hermione had already seen this coming but had not prepared a response. 

“Well, I was already aware that that kind of stuff existed, but after I saw, er, your thing. It sparked my interest--”

He interrupted her, his tone as sharp as nails. “And I hope that interest does not inspired you to seek out similar experiences.“ He must have been referring to the remark she made out of frustration the other day. She beat herself up for saying something so careless, but in her defense he could have never know it would get such a distinct reaction out of him. It interested her. Hermione considered pressing the subject but decided against it.

“Not really,” she gulped. 

“Good.” He straightened his posture and returned to reading.

Hermione took her time finishing her food then removed herself from the table. “I suppose I should be leaving now. Thank you for having me over.” Snape nodded and lead her back to the mainroom. He pulled a small bag of floo powder off the ledge above the fireplace and poured some of it into her hands. Standing in the fireplace, about to floo herself back to her room she recalled her dream. It wasn’t likely but she wondered if she had said anything strange in her sleep? She glance at Snape once last time before tossing the powder and muttering her destination. His expression told her nothing. “Gryffindor common room!” 

It was strange seeing the place that was usually filled with so much life as silent as she was. She cast a spell, removing the ashes from her shoes and stepped onto the carpet. The same dim light that had highlighted Snape’s room so beautifully made the room feel cold and lonely. She began towards the girl’s dormitory tower, wondering why that was. Before she was halfway across the room someone appeared from the door, rushing out in a frenzy. 

When the girl’s bright red hair came into view she knew the identity of the person immediately. “Hermione, there you are!” Ginny smiled. “I was looking for you after supper. Someone told me you had detention with Snape again but I didn’t think you would be out all night.”

“OH! Yes, um, I got home really late and you were asleep by the time I got back.” She lied.

“Ohh, and what time was that around? I was up pretty late waiting.”

“...Er, I’m not too sure, sorry.” Hermione gripped the strap of her book uncomfortably, shifting her way past her. “I am awfully tired though. I got up thinking I could get some extra studying in but I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

“Hermione, listen,” Ginny called, her suspicious undertone revealing itself. “If anything is going on you can tell me.”

“It’s nothing, really.” Hermione answered quickly, still heading towards the door. 

“Hermione, don’t leave.” Hermione finally stopped, not having the heart to go when Ginny was so genuinely concerned about her. “I’m really worried and if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you I’m going to tell someone about this.”

Hermione bit her lip, realizing she would have to at least half spill the beans on this one. “Okay. Whatever you do, please do not tell Harry and Ron.” She told her the story from the beginning truthfully, with some minor edits leaving out the awkward bits about the flogger since she wasn’t sure how Ginny would react to that part.

“Oh, so you think you might be interested in Professor Sna--” Hermione shushed her, and bobbed her head around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “Sorry, sorry. I was surprised.” Ginny giggled, “Trust me, your secret is safe with me.” With another outburst like that, Hermione wasn’t so sure.

“I just hope you know what you’re getting into.” Ginny’s sudden change in tone worried her. “Ron and Harry would go absolutely bonkers if they found out. And, you and Snape together as an item could get you both into some real trouble.”

“I know,” she replied back, her eyes falling to the floor. Hermione had already considered that, but despite how much she warned herself not to get too close she could never bring herself to listen to her own advice. They had spent so much time together already she had become accustomed to being by his side, and he was so different from anyone she’d ever met before. His intellect was refreshing. 

Sensing her friends worry Ginny’s voice perked up, “But don’t get me wrong! I will support it!”

She smiled wearily, “Thanks.” Though there was so much she couldn’t tell her, Hermione was happy she had a friend she could confide in. 

 

The rest of the day passed by slow. Hermione sat at her desk in Potions class, head resting in her hand, watching the clock tick. Her mind was unusually empty, and when she was able to think of something it always revolved around him somehow. Snape stood ahead of her in the front of the class, lecturing in his monotonous drawl. He asked the class a question, his attention immediately turning to her. His stare reeked of unashamed confidence, making her fidget uncomfortably as he looked her up and down. She stood still, unsure of what to do. When she didn’t answer he looked surprised, but quickly picked someone else to answer his question. 

Coming back to her senses she shook her head, nervously shoving her face behind her textbook. Unlike her, he was never afraid to meet her eyes during class. Which she guessed wasn’t really out of place in his position as her professor, but she could never get over how direct his stare was. The thought brought her mind back to his interest in BDSM; a subject she’s been avoiding completely since he confiscated the book from her. 

Dominant, she remembered the term, seemed like his natural trait. There was no other way to describe it. Hermione couldn’t help but find it alluring. She didn’t know how she didn’t notice this about him before. Maybe it was she just hadn’t paid attention to it and the only difference was that it was thrown in her face everyday, not that she minded it. She waited behind after class, knowing she should have left. 

"Granger,” he said, calling her attention. “I wasn't expecting you to stay here today." Snape waved his wand, collecting a pile of pop quiz papers from the previous period to the front. 

Hermione walked to the front, grabbing a chalkboard eraser. Happy to make herself useful."I thought since I'm going to be doing this soon anyways I might as well start helping you sooner rather than later." The dust flew around her, irritating her nose. She tried to fight the upcoming sneezing fit but eventually gave in to inevitability and sneezed into her elbow. He let her finish up erasing the rest of the board, amused with her reaction. She took his lack of protest as encouragement and she continued to help around the classroom, doing whatever she saw needed to be done. 

She watched him from the corner of her eyes, studying his appearance. The words rolled out of her tongue, unexpected even to herself. “Why do you like stuff like that? Doesn’t flogging hurt?” She wanted to bring up the subject again to continue the conversation they had earlier, but obviously not in the way she did. Her words even took herself back. 

“I suppose it comes with the territory.” He snarled. “I would really prefer not to talk about this here.” He turned away, straightening a stack of papers. 

Embarrassed, she sealed her mouth shut, very seriously considering the option of hexing herself so she could never say something so brainless again.

Snape sighed, and spoke again, softening the edge in his tone. “If you must, you may return here after your last class period. Now go eat Ms. Granger.” 

Nodding wildly Hermione jogged out of the classroom. 

When she had gotten a decent distance away she slowed her pace. She didn’t know what possessed her to say such a thing. She wondered if maybe Ron’s moranic blunt outbursts were starting to rub off on her. In that case she wasn't really looking forward to seeing him in the Great Hall; she was afraid she would be less forgiving with him this time. At the end of the hallways she saw a familiar blonde head, who upon spotting her headed in her direction. His pale figure glowed in the dark halls. She considered stopping in her spot and dashing in the other direction but did her best to pretend she hadn't noticed him yet instead.

"Granger," he cooed, stopping in front of her. "Aw, coming back from detention again?" He was the last person she wanted to run into in an empty hallway at night. Hermione said nothing, hoping he would get bored with her and leave. She tried to walk past him but he stopped her again, maneuvering himself in front of wherever direction she tried to leave from. 

"If you can help me out here I promise I'll play nice." 

Hermione sighed, crossing her arms. The sooner she played along the sooner Draco would leave she supposed. "What is it?" She asked, hoping she wouldn’t regret it.

He leaned against the wall, making himself comfortable before beginning. "It's actually a pretty funny story. A friend of mine accidentally left something a little risque in the library last time he was there and he's looking to get it back." Her heart skipped a beat, knowing exactly what he was referring to. She did her best to hide her involvement, but was unsure if her acting skills were up to par.

"What does that have to do with me?" She interjected, speaking between her teeth. 

"Yeah, the funny part is that he says you were in the library with him when he lost it. Can you explain that to me?"

"I saw no such thing. That's absolutely disgusting, and if I did I would have reported it immediately. So consider your friend lucky he only lost it." Hermione scowled, and added a bit of a scoff as she spoke for effect.

Draco smirked, and moved in closer to examine her face. She instinctually jerked back and he choked out a laugh as she did. His thoughts were impossible to read, but not in the same way thought Snape’s were. Draco was chaotic and erratic, she didn't believe there was a soul out there who could predict his actions beside his equally turbulent friends. The only way she pictured she could ever begin to understand his motivation behind being the biggest jackass she knew was if somehow he gained a sense of reason, or if she went completely insane. Which was more likely to happen first. 

He pulled back and turned away. “I suppose you weren’t completely useless today Granger.”

Not knowing how to respond to that, or if she should respond at all, Hermione stood in place and angrily watched him leave the hallway. Her appetite was lost, but she continued off to the Great Hall anyway. She tried to perk herself up before she got there, worried her friends would ask too many questions and that she would explain herself in circles. The only person who may have noticed anything was Ginny, but she didn’t ask, thinking Hermione would tell her on her own when she was ready.

 

After supper, Hermione finally returned to the Potions classroom, still uneasy about Draco’s suspicious behavior. She tried to convince herself that he only volunteered himself to investigate to bother her, and that he wasn't actually on to anything, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling he knew more than he was letting on. Though, on the brightside, she thought, even if he had known anything, it's not as if he would betray Snape's trust. She knew the story, their fathers had been close for years. Draco was dumb, but he wouldn't do anything to upset Snape and thus upset his parents. She scratched her head, unable to let it go. What was he thinking?

Snape's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, calling her back into reality. "Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

And with those words, he had all of her attention.


End file.
